Guardian Angel
by shannyfish
Summary: Calleigh ends up trying to help find a lost child...when she's lost, will her guardian angel help her to safety or pull her deeper into the danger of the storm?
1. Shiver

**Title:** Guardian Angel

**Author:** innocent choir girl (ff-dot-net), shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/ Miami Heat/ LJ GeekFiction)

**Summary:** Calleigh ends up trying to help a woman find her lost child…when she's lost, will her 'guardian angel' help her to safety or pull her deeper into the danger of the storm?

**Category: **Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

**Genres:** Angst, Character Study, Drama, Friendship,

**Characters:** Horatio Caine, Calleigh Duquesne

**Warnings:** none

**Rating:** PG

**Chapter:** 1 "Shiver"

**Author's Notes: **none.

……………………………………

Cold.

The wind and water had soaked into her skin and she couldn't stop the shivers that ran through her whole body. She was tired…and her head was pounding. Her head was still bleeding, but that wasn't her main problem. The hurricane was dangerously close to them now. The wind was forcing debris to hurtle through the hair, and the small shelter that Calleigh had hidden in was quickly accumulating vegetation debris. "Horatio, where are you?" Calleigh said quietly to herself as she stared out into the area outside of her sheltered spot. The ground was absorbing the rain making it muddy, the trees were losing branches, and the wind had started to blow the rain sideways.

The shelter wasn't completely protecting her, but she knew that when the hurricane prayed upon her location that she'd be more protected than she was at the moment. Though, she'd been in Miami for several years and had her share of hurricanes and hurricane evacuations, Calleigh had never been in the middle of one…alone and injured. She knew that she wouldn't have done anything differently, but it was still quite frightening.

"Calleigh, we've got to get out of here…it's coming in fast," Horatio warned as he stared out at the sky. Rain had started to come down, and Horatio had wondered how evacuation was going for everyone else. He had told Calleigh that she should evacuate with the others, but she had told him that she wasn't going to leave if he was staying. He loved her loyalty and passion for their jobs, even when it didn't involve crime scenes.

Calleigh pushed back long strands of her golden locks as the wind pushed them forward. She tucked them behind her ears and thought about how she really should have put her hair up into a ponytail, but it hadn't been so windy when she had left her apartment that morning. Of course, she hadn't expected to be helping with an evacuation for a hurricane either. "I think we've got everyone," Calleigh said as she closed the back passenger side door of the Hummer.

Horatio nodded and started around to the driver's side of the vehicle, "Alright, let's get these people to the shelter."

Opening her door, Calleigh was about to get in when one the woman in the back started to panic. Calleigh looked back there and saw that everyone they had walked out was in at least that she could remember. They'd been to a lot of places helping them get out of the hurricane zone, but this was the second they had to personally transport. "What's wrong?"

"Matthew is missing, he's two…"

Calleigh looked around, but didn't see anyone. "I'll go check for him. What does he look like?"

"Dirty blonde hair, brown eyes…I think he had on a red shirt."

"Alright," Calleigh said shutting her door and then looking over at Horatio, "I'll be right back." She didn't notice that Horatio was on the phone though as she ran off towards the house. They still had time, but not much time. She made it inside and started to check each room for the small boy. She couldn't find the boy. At least not in the house, so Calleigh headed out to the backyard. There was a tricycle and a small playhouse that looked like it had been specially made by the father. Calleigh called out, "Matthew!"

The wind was picking up, and Calleigh was finding it hard to keep her hair out of her face. She kept pushing it back as she made her way to the small playhouse and crouched down and peeked inside. She could see the boy crouching in the corner. She smiled and held out her hand for the boy. She knew she'd been away from the Hummer for at least five or ten minutes now, but Horatio hadn't come after her, so she assumed he was waiting for her. "Come on," she said as she held out her hand to him.

When the child didn't move, Calleigh made her way into the small playhouse and scooped the boy up. "Don't worry; I'm helping your parents… We're going to get you somewhere safe," she assured as she made her way out of the playhouse. The hurricane was close… The wind had picked up vegetation, which was flying about. Calleigh held the child close, and headed towards the house.

She had to go through the house to make it to the front where Horatio was waiting, but when she went through the front door she didn't see the Hummer. She hurried towards the roadway, but when she looked down it, she noticed that the vehicle was no where in sight. "Horatio," she whispered. Calleigh wondered if she had taken longer than she had thought…but she knew that he'd come back… He needed to get the others to the shelter with the storm so close to them. She needed to find a safe place. Calleigh looked around, but she wasn't sure where she could hide with the boy where they'd be safe through the hurricane.

Setting the child on the ground, Calleigh held tight to his hand as she led him off down the road hoping to find something solid and sturdy. She wasn't sure what…but something that they could use for a shelter. Calleigh's foot slipped on a wet rock and she landed face first in the mud. Pushing herself up, she groaned. Her head had come into contact with something hard, and when she reached up to her forehead, she found blood on her fingertips. She saw Matthew only a few feet away sniffling. "It's alright," she whispered as she pulled herself back up all the way to her feet and then took Matthew's hand again.

Calleigh stared out at the blowing vegetation. Tree branches blew back and forth with the howling wind and the rain still insisted on blowing into the shelter. The child's crying broke her from her thoughts, but all she could think to say was, "Horatio's comin' for us."

……………………..

TBC…


	2. Hallucination

**Title:** Guardian Angel

**Author:** innocent choir girl (ff-dot-net), shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/ Miami Heat/ LJ GeekFiction)

**Summary:** Calleigh ends up trying to help a woman find her lost child…when she's lost, will her 'guardian angel' help her to safety or pull her deeper into the danger of the storm?

**Category: **Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

**Genres:** Angst, Character Study, Drama, Friendship,

**Characters:** Horatio Caine, Calleigh Duquesne

**Warnings:** none

**Rating:** PG

**Chapter:** 2 "Hallucination"

**Author's Notes:** none

……………………………

"Are you finished pretending that you're insane, yet?" Speedle asked a bit annoyed. "Ya know, for someone who hasn't seen me in three years…you'd think you'd be happier…"

Calleigh turned to him, cold and still quite miserable. "You were shot and killed three years ago, Tim… I saw you in your own blood. I processed your gun… I went to your funeral…" She sucked in a shaky breath, willing herself not to cry over the gruesome memories.

"I should have cleaned it."

"You should have, and you should have lived…" Calleigh said angry. "You died…and then…then Hagen shot himself. I lost you both…" She hung her head and closed her eyes.

Tim sighed and looked up at the ceiling of the cement overpass. "I'm sorry, Cal… I know…I know you and Horatio took it pretty hard…"

"Eric and Alexx, too…" Calleigh spoke up.

"Alexx deals with death everyday…she grieved and then accepted it…" Tim frowned and looked over at Calleigh, "Eric…he grew up. He's a good CSI, Cal. We did a good job…"

"He's been through a lot."

"So have you and Horatio…but you two haven't let it go yet," he said looking directly at her. "You know its okay, Cal. It wasn't your fault or Horatio's… I knew I should have cleaned my gun… You couldn't have changed things…"

"I could have been on your case more."

"I would have just told you to have gotten off my back…" Tim shrugged off. "You two need to take care of each other…"

Calleigh smiled a bit, "We do." She missed Speed; she missed how the team used to take care of each other… She and Speed would look out for Eric, and Horatio worked in the lab more… Now, Eric and Ryan fought…and Horatio sometimes felt like a ghost in the lab…unless he was hovering over you for evidence. "So…why did I dream you up after I hit my head?"

"I told you already, Cal, I'm not a hallucination…" Speed said with a smirk. "Though, if I were…at least you got a damn good one…"

The storm was fast approaching, and Calleigh had picked the boy back up, holding him close. She hadn't found anywhere to stay yet. The house hadn't seemed sturdy at all, after all, that had been why they were evacuating. She was walking through trees, when she found her arm being grasped and her being dragged along.

"You're not moving fast enough."

Calleigh's jaw dropped when she saw who it was and her mind registered the voice. But all her mind was screaming afterwards was that it wasn't possible. There was no way that that person could be there. She had seen the body and gone to the funeral… She could still hear the gunshots.

Tim Speedle.

The next thing she found herself thinking was that she had hit her head and that she was going a little crazy, "No…you're not real…" she whispered still in shock of what she was seeing. She really was out of it because of the knock to her head. She knew it had to still be bleeding and knew that she needed to stop and put pressure on it. But with the storm system coming closer, she didn't want to risk it. "You're just trying to distract me."

"I'm trying to get you and the little guy to safety," Speed insisted as he dragged her along.

How could she feel him pulling her along physically if he wasn't there? Fear and panic coursed through her as her mind rushed over the idea. Was she even conscious? Was she dreaming? Was it all a nightmare? Was there even a hurricane? "No, no…none of this is real."

Speed felt Calleigh stopping, but insisted that she move along. He was worried about her, not just because she was alone with the boy in the storm, but because of head wound she had suffered. She looked pale, and even though he knew she had before…he knew that it wasn't her normal pallor. "Come on, Cal. Horatio's going to be on his way back for you… You've just got to keep moving. We're going to find you and Matthew a place where it's safe."

"I'm tired," she whispered, her arms feeling heavy. Matthew, though he was small, felt like a ton of bricks in her arms. She blamed part of it on the cold, and part of it on the fact that she had hit her head. She knew that it was important to stay awake, to prevent coma.

"No time for sleeping, Cal," Speed pushed as he pulled the child from her arms and bared the weight instead. With an arm around Calleigh, he led them towards where he knew they'd be safe. It didn't take him long to get them to a concrete overpass, and made sure they were below it, tucked as far against the cement wall in the corner as possible. "You're both soaking," he said as he helped Calleigh to sit down. It had been raining as they had made the last length, but he hadn't realized how wet they were until then. He set the boy down as well and watched as he shivered. "He's way too cold, Cal."

Kneeling down, Speed started to open the buttons on Calleigh's blouse.

"Timothy Speedle!" Calleigh shouted in surprise as she slapped at his hands. "See, now I know you're a hallucination! My Tim Speedle would have never done such a thing!"

Speed laughed at her, "The kid needs heat, Cal… Skin to skin contact is the best. You don't want him to die, do you?"

Calleigh blinked and frowned, "No…"

Instead of finishing Calleigh's buttons, he went to the boy and removed his t-shirt before handing him back to Calleigh, who freely finished unbuttoning her shirt and pulled the boy close. Speed, pulled her shirt around the boy and started to button it back up.

"How long do you think it's going to be until Horatio comes?" Calleigh asked quietly.

"I dunno, Calleigh… I know that he's trying…" Speed assured.

Calleigh's eyes felt heavy. She'd stayed awake like Speed had instructed, but she was ready to sleep…just for a bit…just a nap. "I'm so tired… Let me sleep," she pleaded. She knew if she started to nod off, that he'd just poke her or yell at her to keep her eyes open. Shivers ran through her body, forcing her body to move and Calleigh to lightly hit the back of her head against the cement. "Ow…"

"You can't sleep, Cal," Speed told her sitting across from her and then he looked outside. The storm was in full swing, and the cement barrier above them was just barely protecting them. "Matthew needs you… He needs you to be strong and stay awake…"

"Horatio isn't coming," she whispered shivering again. She was so cold… It sometimes confused her at how cold Florida could get. Most of the year, Miami was hot…and humid during the summer. But when hurricanes came around, they could drop temperatures in areas.

Calleigh's pallor was scaring Speed. He hoped that the storm moved on soon, he knew that that was the only reason why rescue wasn't already there. Calleigh's skin was pale, and only looked worse with how blue her lips were turning. "You could have a concussion…"

"No kiddin', I'm seein' you, aren't I?"

Smirking, he responded, "Angry, are we? I wasn't the clumsy one who fell and hit my head on the rock."

"As much as I miss you Tim, you're being a pain…" she mumbled miserably.

"I love you, too," he told her sincerely. His voice turned serious, "You could have hypothermia, Calleigh…" He knew that the concrete was probably not doing them any favors and neither was the wet ground below them.

Tears rolled down Calleigh's face, "Tell Horatio to hurry…" she said before letting her eyes close. "Tell him, Tim."

"He's coming, Cal," Speed whispered worriedly.

………………………..

TBC…


	3. Safe Passage

**Title:** Guardian Angel

**Author:** innocent choir girl (ff-dot-net), shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/ Miami Heat/ LJ GeekFiction)

**Summary:** Calleigh ends up trying to help a woman find her lost child…when she's lost, will her 'guardian angel' help her to safety or pull her deeper into the danger of the storm?

**Category: **Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

**Genres:** Angst, Character Study, Drama, Friendship,

**Characters:** Calleigh Duquesne, Tim Speedle

**Warnings:** none

**Rating:** PG

**Chapter:** 3 "Safe Passage"

**Author's Notes: **This story, like SDRR, takes a bit longer and more thinking to write ;) So, that's why it's lagging a bit!

…………………………

The roar of the storm outside, which was hardly a worry to Calleigh. Her head was still pounding. The child burrowed against her chest, however, seemed content and had been sleeping right through the storm. She rested her head back against the hard wall and let her eyes shut just for a second.

"Hey! Hey!" Speed yelled.

"I just need to sleep for a minute," Calleigh complained, not opening her eyes.

"Calleigh! You've got to keep me company a bit longer!" Speed continued.

She finally opened her eyes and found brown ones staring back at her. She was still sleepy, though, and it was hard to keep her eyes open. Calleigh wondered why she had to stay awake now… Was she hurt that badly? Or did Speed just feel the need for company? "I'm…I'm awake now," she whispered sleepily as she rubbed her eyes a bit.

"It's for your own good, Calleigh," Speed told her with a smile.

"Did you tell Horatio to hurry?" Calleigh questioned. She liked to test the fact that he said that he was there for her rather than merely the result of her head injury.

"Don't worry," he told her as he sat down next to her. "He's trying to get here…" Speed watched as he eyes started to close again, "Why don't we talk about something else?" he prompted hoping it would keep her awake.

Calleigh turned her head to look at him, "Are we gonna die here?" she asked feeling her toes feel numb. Normally she wore heels, but with the incoming storm, she had made sure to wear more reasonable boots that would protect her feet, but they weren't keeping the cold from her toes.

"No," Speed responded confidently before reaching out and touching her cheek lightly with a smile, "I would never let that happen to you, Calleigh… You or the boy," he explained. He knew that he couldn't get her out of there himself, but he wasn't about to let one of his best friends die if he could prevent it. She just needed to be looked over and kept awake until Horatio managed to get there.

"Always lookin' out for us?" Calleigh asked.

"Always, Cal," Speed smiled. "I mean, who else is gonna look out for Eric and Horatio if you're with me?" Of course, he looked out for Megan when she had been with the lab, but that had been so long ago, and he knew where she was was somewhere where she could regain some happiness. "You're needed more than you know." When Calleigh stayed quiet, he pressed on, "You need to let go, Calleigh… That's the only way you're going to be happy…"

"Let go?" Calleigh mumbled trying to grasp what he was trying to tell her.

"You got hit hard that year…" Speed explained. "I know my death was especially hard on the whole team…but some of you need to let it go. Calleigh, if you had pestered me about cleaning my gun, I would have just pushed you away…there was no way you could have prevented it… Hagen, Hagen…I think it was his time. He couldn't live on this earth anymore. There were too many things working against him," Speed tried to explain.

"He just wanted me to love him," Calleigh whispered looking down.

"Did you love him?"

Calleigh looked up at Speed, "How could I love someone who didn't respect me?"

"He had problems, Calleigh…but you have to let him go to… I'm sure even if he wasn't happy about the relationship you both used to have; he would have never wanted you to be so miserable."

"I miss you," she whispered scooting a bit closer to him. She felt his arm fall around her shoulders and let her head rest on his shoulders. "Sometimes I'm not sure why I'm at the lab… Ryan and Eric fight… Eric's going through a tough time…"

"You worry about your father…"

Calleigh lifted her head from his shoulder and stared at him, "How did you know?"

"Weren't you paying attention? I see all and know all?" he teased with a smile.

"I don't believe that you're God," Calleigh told him shaking her head a bit.

"No, not that high up…"

"You're an angel?" Calleigh asked a bit confused.

Speed shook his head, "That hit on the head affected you more than I originally thought if it's taken you this long to catch on…" He smiled kindly, "Don't try to fix people, Calleigh… Things will work out the way they will… Have faith."

"Sometimes it's hard to have faith," she told him as she let her head fall back to his shoulder.

"I know one person who needs your help, Cal… You and Horatio… You both need to learn to let go, live, and love… Life goes on, and it will for both of you if you just allow it," Speedle told her before dropping a kiss on her forehead, "Sleep now…"

"But—" Calleigh started to argue, but found her eyes shutting on their own.

"Sleep."

…………………….

TBC…


	4. Angels

**Title:** Guardian Angel

**Author:** innocent choir girl (ff-dot-net), shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/ Miami Heat/ LJ GeekFiction)

**Summary:** Calleigh ends up trying to help a woman find her lost child…when she's lost, will her 'guardian angel' help her to safety or pull her deeper into the danger of the storm?

**Category: **Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

**Genres:** Angst, Character Study, Drama, Friendship,

**Characters:** Calleigh Duquesne, Horatio Caine

**Warnings:** none

**Rating:** PG

**Chapter:** 4 "Angels"

**Author's Notes: **for the Heather

………………………

The cold numbing feeling was still there when Calleigh opened her eyes. Her eyes, though, wouldn't open completely, just a bit, and what she saw was blurry and confusing. She knew she was lying down, but didn't feel the weight of the child on her. "Tim?" she whispered weakly reaching out with her hand. Trying to focus only makes her head hurt worse than it already does. Calleigh goes to open her mouth again to call for him, when she finds her hand increasingly warm. Someone was holding her hand, "Speed?"

"Shhh…it's going to be okay now, Sweetheart."

Though the voice is familiar, she knows that it isn't Speed's. Someone else… Fear and panic rush through her as she wonders where Matthew is. "Matthew…gone…" she managed to get out in a mumbled mess.

"The boy is just fine… He's safe, Calleigh."

As reassuring and comforting the voice is, Calleigh still fears that something isn't right. Something was wrong, her head was screaming. Things were blurry, and she knew that before they weren't. Warmth felt like it was slowly rushing through her body. She felt dry and warm… But was she safe? Had the storm passed? She had so many questions, but she couldn't form the words…or the sentences… A hand on her forehead brought her eyes up to look for the face of the person trying to soothe her. A blurred figure was what she saw. Angel…it looked like an angel, the blue eyes were clearly broken through the blur that she saw through along with the bright hair. Another angel, she thought, and squeezed the hand that was holding hers.

"I promise, I'm not leaving…not again, Sweetheart. I'm here…"

Promises.

Calleigh had to keep a promise to Speed. She had promised him to help Horatio…to tell him what she had been told. That they needed to help each other through it and that they needed to be happy…to have lives… With her body feeling increasingly warm and a bright light now glaring all around her, panic started to rise, and Calleigh wondered if she had died… What if the voice was someone who had died? They were trying to ease her into the fact that she had died? Speed had told her that she could suffer from not only a concussion, but hypothermia as well.

She could feel the tears slipping down her cheeks and felt the hand on her forehead stroke her hair soothingly. Closing her eyes, she tried to sleep…or at least something close to it until she could see again…until she knew what was going on.

…………………..

The tears falling down her cheeks made him want to cry. The EMTs and Alexx had said that she probably wouldn't be conscious let alone comprehend what was going on if she had been caught in the middle of the storm. They had found her and the boy, both soaked, and shivering. The boy's body temperature, luckily, was up enough for him to be warmed with blankets and a bath, but Calleigh was going to take longer. The EMTs were already pumping warm saline into her to try to warm her internally along with all the blankets they had her wrapped in. They had stripped her down at the scene out of her clothes leaving her only in her bra and panties before bundling her. Her hair had been pulled up above her head and they had wrapped it up as well to try to keep her body from losing anymore heat.

"We're almost there, Calleigh," Horatio told her after seeing her eyes close. The fact that Calleigh was calling for Speedle worried Horatio, he was afraid that she'd suffered possible memory loss, but he also knew that that couldn't be determined until she woke up. For all he knew, she could be dreaming.

Looking up at the EMT across from him, he looked for some sign of how she was doing. "She's going to be alright, isn't she?" Horatio asked in a more worried and panicked tone. He needed to know she would be. He had things he had to tell her… He had left her, when he would have never normally had dreamt of doing such a thing… He had needed to get the family to safety before the hurricane was too close, and he had tried frantically to get back to her…but roads had been damaged, trees had been down, and there had been flooding. Even with the Hummer, he hadn't been able to get back to her until the storm had passed.

"The head injury has stopped bleeding, so that's a good sign. We won't know the extent of that damage until either she wakes up or we get her under a scan. We knew that it was a possibility of hypothermia when we came since we knew she had been possibly outside in the storm, so us warming her up on the way is giving her a better chance." The EMT paused before continuing, "Hopefully, she'll respond to the treatment and we'll be able to get her temperature back up…you're going to get a better answer from one of the docs at the hospital."

Horatio nodded, he just wanted someone to tell him that she was going to be okay. Alexx wasn't there, but she had been talking him through the possibilities he needed to be prepared to face including Calleigh dying. He had wished Alexx was in the ambulance with him. He knew that she really needed to be at the hurricane shelter with her family though, her kids needed her. He had promised to call her and update her once they got Calleigh to the hospital. Eric and the others would be called after, and Horatio just prayed that he had positive news for them.

"We're pulling in," the EMT told Horatio as he prepared the gurney for its departure from the ambulance and got Calleigh all set to be moved.

"Almost there," Horatio whispered as he moved his other hand to cover the hand he was holding. It felt warmer, but he wasn't sure if it was because he had been holding her hand or if it was because of the saline being pumped through her and the blankets.

…………………………

TBC…


	5. Promises Kept

**Title:** Guardian Angel

**Author:** innocent choir girl (ff-dot-net), shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/ Miami Heat/ LJ GeekFiction)

**Summary:** Calleigh ends up trying to help a woman find her lost child…when she's lost, will her 'guardian angel' help her to safety or pull her deeper into the danger of the storm?

**Category: **Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

**Genres:** Angst, Character Study, Drama, Friendship,

**Characters:** Calleigh Duquesne, Horatio Caine, Tim Speedle

**Warnings:** none

**Rating:** PG

**Chapter:** 5 "Promises Kept"

**Author's Notes: **none

……………………………

The sterile white room greeted her as her eyes fully opened to take in the surroundings. "Ugh," escaped her as she tried to move her arms and legs trying to find a more comfortable position. "Speed?" she whispered closing her eyes before opening them again. He wasn't in sight. She hadn't expected him to leave her…and she sort of missed it. She pushed herself up a bit in bed and noticed that she was in a hospital room. Light was streaming in through the window that was to the left of her. She noticed someone by it, and then smiled when she could fully make out the face. At least she wasn't alone.

"You've been sleeping for a while now," Horatio spoke up before getting up from his chair and walking towards the bed. He stopped about a foot from it and kept his gaze down. "Everyone's been worried…"

Calleigh was more relieved than anything to see him. Though she was still confused, "You left me…" she said softly and somewhat wished Speed was there. At least then she felt he'd ease the tension a bit. He'd remind her that she wasn't alone…that she knew Horatio'd come for her…that she had been safe from the storm. But she needed to know why Horatio would just leave her out in the middle of hurricane with the storm coming in fast.

Horatio stayed quiet for a minute before speaking, "I…I was forced to," he tried to explain. "I had to get those people to safety…" He knew that she'd probably be upset, angry, confused…but he still needed to be there. He was still worried about her memories, even if she remembered the hurricane. Did she remember everything?

"I tried to get right back to you. I knew you'd find somewhere to stay until I got back. At first it was just objects that were in my path…trees went down all over the place, Calleigh… But when I finally got closer, I got stopped. They wouldn't let me through," Horatio told her. "I'm so sorry…"

Calleigh couldn't blame him for that. She knew that Horatio would try all he could…but she still felt like he'd abandoned her. She nodded, but stayed quiet. She noticed something…someone else was there. A small smile came to her lips. Speed was there. He was there behind Horatio, near the window watching.

Horatio carefully lowered the rail on that side of the bed and sat on the edge of it. "I was so worried about you…" he told her as he took her hand into his and stared down at it. "Worried that you wouldn't be kept safe through the storm… That you'd end up hurt and that it was my fault…" Tears formed in his eyes, "They wouldn't let me pass, Calleigh… I had wished then, that I hadn't been there to get that family…that I was just trying to make sure you were safe… I wish that I hadn't left you behind like that…"

Wetness. She could feel something on her hand, looking down; she could just barely see it. Horatio was leaning over her hand. Was he crying? She had never seen Horatio cry before. She reached out for his face, but he kept his gaze down.

His voice broke a bit as he admitted, "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you Calleigh…" He kissed her hand gently. His tears still hitting her hand and running down the sides. "I would never…never leave you, Calleigh… I only did it to make sure those people were safe." His head finally rose, "I love you."

Her eyes widened in shock at Horatio's sudden confession. She cared for him…loved him…but she knew that they couldn't act on it. It was against regulations. He was her superior…and she knew that even if it were allowed that it would without a doubt cause problems. "Horatio…" she mumbled and then reached out and touched his cheek lightly. She felt tears forming in her own eyes. She wanted to tell him that she loved him…that she'd loved him for some time… She'd suffered through his love for Yelina and his marriage to Marisol… "I'm okay…" she said instead. "I wasn't alone…Speedle was there…" She couldn't help, but let out a small laugh, "He's still just as sarcastic and pushy as before…" She saw Speed crunch up his face in response. "And caring… He helped me get through that storm…"

"That's from the bump," Horatio told her reaching out and touching the side of the bandaged area near Calleigh's temple. "The doctors said you had a concussion…"

"He's not a hallucination."

Horatio continued to stare at her, "Calleigh…"

Moving her hand from his cheek, she pressed her finger to his lips. "He doesn't like to be called a hallucination…" She smiled a bit, wiping her tears from her eyes and moving her finger from his lips. "We have to let go of the past, Horatio…" she whispered. "Let go of all the death and pain… None of the people we loved would have wanted that for us…" she said looking into his eyes.

He watched as she leaned into him, and his lips brushed his cheek and the edge of his lips before her arms were thrust around him. It felt so good to be touched…especially from Calleigh. It took him a moment, but he finally wrapped his arms around her and kissed the bare skin of her exposed shoulder. "I'm sorry…"

"Shhh…it's okay," Calleigh soothed. It felt illegal to feel so connected at that moment from him, and Calleigh wished that she could always feel like that… His touch was gentle and beautiful. She didn't want to ever leave his touch or his arms. He felt warm against her, and she had missed warmth… "I'm here…" she whispered as she shut her eyes.

"Take care of each other," Speed spoke up.

As they pulled back, she opened her eyes to see that Speed was gone. "He's gone now," Calleigh whispered and leaned in, letting her forehead rest against his.

He didn't mind their position, it felt calming. Her hair fell down her face and he could feel it touching his face occasionally. "Didn't say goodbye?"

"He said to take care of each other," Calleigh told him staring into his eyes as she pulled back a moment later. "But he'll always be with us," Calleigh told him, reaching out and placing her hand over his heart. "And I'll always be with you, too," she whispered letting her body press back against him. Her hand still pressed firmly on his heart as her head found his shoulder.

Horatio took in a breath deeply before wrapping his arms around her again. He looked up wondering if Tim Speedle had been more than just a hallucination… Had he been an angel? One that had protected Calleigh through the storm? Had he been watching over them all this time?

"It's okay," Calleigh whispered and felt his lips on her cheek. She closed her eyes and tried to live in that memory. She knew that that time was precious and those moments would never happen again. His touch that she was treasuring would never come again…

………………………..

TBC…


	6. Watching Over Me

**Title:** Guardian Angel

**Author:** innocent choir girl (ff-dot-net), shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/ Miami Heat/ LJ GeekFiction)

**Summary:** Calleigh ends up trying to help a woman find her lost child…when she's lost, will her 'guardian angel' help her to safety or pull her deeper into the danger of the storm?

**Category: **Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

**Genres:** Angst, Character Study, Drama, Friendship,

**Characters:** Calleigh Duquesne, Horatio Caine

**Warnings:** none

**Rating:** PG

**Chapter:** 6 "Watching Over Me"

**Author's Notes: **Okay, this is the final chapter… : )

……………………………

Horatio smiled when he saw Calleigh through the glass walls working hard in ballistics. She'd been like that all day. He'd asked Claudia at the front desk what time Calleigh had come in, and she had asked if it was an order since she'd been semi-sworn to secrecy. He was told that she'd been there before eight, but that was all the desk sergeant would allow. It was her first day back. The doctors had insisted that she take a couple days off, and Calleigh had complained the whole time. He and the team had tried to keep her occupied, but it seemed that he wasn't the only one who had a hard time being away from work. He made his way to the door to ballistics and entered quietly. "What case are you working on?"

"The Kimbler case," she told him as she continued to look through her microscope. "There are multiple rounds…and it looks like it's gonna be a long day…"

"Have you had lunch?"

"No," Calleigh responded evenly as she continued to adjust the bullet to try and match the striations to another bullet on her scope. "I'm not caught up yet."

"Time for lunch."

"If I hadn't had to stay home for three days then I'd be all caught up," Calleigh told him pulling away from the scope and looking at him. "I mean…I was just cold and had a bump on my head… It wasn't like I had a brain injury…"

Horatio smirked, "You were seeing Tim Speedle, Calleigh… I think you needed the time off."

"So?" she said a bit innocently. "Wait until he comes and haunts you after you hit your head and makes you feel crazy. I'm gonna remind you of how you guys made me stay home and watch movies for three days straight."

"I look forward to it," Horatio told her, still smiling. "But you can't run yourself into the ground on your first day back. You've already been working for at least five hours straight…you deserve a break that includes lunch."

Calleigh smiled, "Thanks, but no thanks… I've got to finish up," she told him sweetly before turning back to her microscope and peeking back in at the bullets.

"At least we know that you're one hundred percent," Horatio teased. "Since you've been here since possibly before the sun came up, and you're determined to finish your work." He walked up behind her and carefully pulled her hair from where it was resting over the front of her shoulders to behind. "You're smiling…and you've got your color back…" He watched as more color rose in her cheeks. "And…you look absolutely beautiful…like always…" He could tell that she was trying hard to ignore him, but the bright color in her cheeks was giving away how his words were affecting her. She had a tight smile, and he had a feeling he was breaking her concentration since she hadn't moved the bullet to match with the striations of the other since he'd entered the room.

"Come on," Horatio said, "Time for a break…that's an order, Detective." Sure, he was using her rank to his advantage, but sometimes that needed to be done. She obviously wasn't going to break for lunch on her own, so he had to push and make it happen. He looked around, and didn't see anyone really around. Everyone was doing their jobs in their respective labs, and no one was in eyesight of ballistics at the moment. Leaning in, so his body was pressed against her back, he put his mouth to her neck. Gently, he kissed it before whispering into her ear, "I have a surprise."

"Horatio…" she whispered a bit weakly and tried to hold back a shiver.

"Lunch time."

………………………..

As they exited the building of the Miami Dade Crime Lab, Horatio led her towards the Hummer that had been his for the day. He'd gone out earlier and had picked up something on his way back in. He pulled a bag from the floor of the passenger side of the Hummer. He closed it up, locking it before motioning Calleigh in the direction he had intended.

Walking along, Horatio brought her to the pond near the lab; it was one of his favorite places. It was calming and soothing to him. It was a place where he could think, but he felt like it would also be a place he could share with Calleigh. They stopped at an area that seemed vacant enough and where they wouldn't be interrupted. Horatio set down the bag, opening it and pulling out a light blanket. Spreading it out, he saw the smile on Calleigh's face. "I figured I'd get you out of the building, too."

The smile didn't fade as she kneeled down on the blanket, "It's a beautiful idea, Horatio. I don't think I've been on a picnic…in years… Maybe a lot longer, actually," she corrected thinking about how long she'd been a CSI, and how her last picnic would have been most likely in Louisiana. She watched as he pulled the wrapped and packaged food from the bag along with drinks. It was perfect, and the day was beautiful making it even more perfect.

As they sat and ate, Horatio tried to get information from Calleigh. He was probably the one person in the lab that she was most open with, but he still wanted to know more about her. "You know, I think things like this happen every so often to remind us of how precious life is…"

"Yeah…but sometimes it's hard to move on when the incident involves someone we care about being taken away from us," Calleigh agreed. "I miss Speed… God, I even miss Hagen…even before we dated when he just hounded me to finish his evidence… I hate losin' people, Horatio. It feels like we're losin' the battle out there…"

Horatio knew what she was talking about. "I know…" He missed his brother, even if Ray could never seem to stay away from drugs and trouble. Marisol had reminded him about how precious life was when she had been plagued with cancer. But it wasn't the cancer that had taken her away from him and Eric, it had been a bullet. A bullet from the Mala Noche.

"You know, I think we should both work less," Horatio said suddenly after a batch of silence. When he saw Calleigh look up at him in surprise and her mouth opening to argue, he went on. "After all, I could certainly think of something better to do with my time rather than spending all day and night in the lab…"

"Oh?"

He leaned in and let his lips touch hers, savoring her touch and taste. Her lips were soft as they responded to his kiss. His hand slid to her face, wanting the kiss to last forever. "Something…a lot better…" he said breathlessly as he pulled back, keeping his face only an inch from hers. Horatio saw her smile brightly at his comment, he loved that smile.

"I guess it could be beneficial…workin' less," she whispered feeling oddly shy. She didn't know why. It was just a sudden sensation. She blamed the open environment, but knew that since they hadn't seen anyone that no one saw. The area was empty, only they occupied it, and it was perfect. It was like a hideaway, and Calleigh wondered if Horatio had planned it to be perfect in that way.

"I think so," he told her, keeping his voice quiet as he reached out and pushed some stray strands of her golden locks back out of her face.

………………………..

Two weeks had passed, and Calleigh had been working a little less, but just as intently as she'd always worked. Horatio smiled to himself as he called down to ballistics to have Calleigh meet him in his office. He'd already sent Eric, Ryan, and Natalia to the Hummers with kits. There was a big wreck on the causeway along with a shooting a hundred feet away. Nonetheless, they were going to be busy well through their shift. He had to do something first, though.

"Hey," Calleigh greeted with a smile as she entered his office. "I was just checkin' my kit." She set her kit down, "Are you comin' along?" She knew that everyone else was outside; even Frank and Alexx were on the case. All of Miami Dade's Crime Lab and Police Department seemed like they'd be on the massive crash and shooting case.

"Yes," he said with a smile, "But I felt the need to give you something first." He walked around his desk, and approached her, stopping a foot in front of her.

Calleigh smiled, "Oh yeah? Pink print powder?" she teased.

He smiled and tilted his head a bit, "Something much better…"

"Alright…what is it?" Calleigh asked getting curious and excited at the same time. Horatio held out a black rectangular box. It was a matte black and when Calleigh finally took it in her hand found it was a lot heavier than she had expected. She hadn't expected such a box; it reminded her much of a box that bracelets and necklaces came in… She knew, though, that Horatio wouldn't keep her from a scene for such a thing. Calleigh looked down at the box curiously and then back up at Horatio.

Horatio smiled as he watched Calleigh with the box. He knew that technically it could wait, but Calleigh deserved it, and he hated keeping it from him. He'd been waiting all day to give it to her, and he found that he couldn't wait any longer. "Go on," he prompted.

Opening the box, she found a gold Miami Dade Police Department badge with 'lieutenant' engraved proudly in it. She looked up confused at Horatio, "Why are you givin' me your badge?"

"It's not mine," he told her. "It's yours."

Fear ran through her mind, "Please don't tell me that you resigned…"

"No, no," he said with a light laugh. "You deserve it, Calleigh… I put in for that promotion for you…some time ago, I think they just now got around to it." He smiled, seeing that she was still shocked at it all. So, he continued, "I planned on having a ceremony…but then the call about the scene…"

She ran her finger over the new shiny badge, "I don't need a ceremony… I liked this one," she admitted. It kept her from having to make big speeches or being poked about by the team. "Plus, this will be more fun…" Her smile widened, "We can see how long it takes them to notice…"

He smiled, "Mmm sounds like a plan…"

Calleigh couldn't resist, she didn't see anyone that could be peering into his office, and took the opportunity to kiss Horatio, taking a minute and savored it. As she pulled back, she whispered, "Thank you, Handsome." Pulling away, she exchanged her badges and handed the box with her old badge in it to Horatio. "C'mon, time to get to down to the others…" She winked at him before heading out of his office. She was beaming and felt absolutely wonderful. She and Horatio had been spending more and more time together outside of work. Now, things had completely changed.

Equality.

Not only were she and Horatio people who respected each other as equals, but now in the work field they'd also be declared as so. She smiled to herself as she carried her kit out towards the downstairs. She heard Horatio's footsteps close behind her as she pushed the elevator button.

As they stepped into the elevator, Horatio smiled, "I love that smile."

"You'll be seeing it a lot more," she told him not taking her eyes off the closed doors. 

"Good." Horatio watched as Calleigh headed out of the elevator first, and he followed. He knew he was going to love it. Not only was Calleigh a lieutenant, but she was happy again. She was so beautiful in that way. He let her walk on without him. He took the time to stop, and push his jacket aside so that his hands could rest on his hips. His sunglasses weren't on yet, but he stared up at the beautiful blue sky brushed with some white clouds. "Thank you."

………………………

The End.


End file.
